Fire-escape.



'110.730,83-9. -PATENTED JUNE`9,1903. o. J. PETERSON. f

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED TAIR-21,1903. N0 MODEL..

Kaffee/53%@ V A Zrzvvenfon' M azs% @ma yUNITED STATES Patented .Tune 9, 1903. Y

PATENT OFFICE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,839, dated. J' une 9, 1903.

Application filed January 21, 1903. Serial No. 140,032. (No model.)

To a/ZZ 107110777/ t may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHRISTEN J. PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. l4.16 South Halsted street, Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine to be used for the purpose of saving human lives in case of fires, the object of my invention being to furnish a quick and safe means of exit from a 'burning building. I attain these objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of the head or cover C, Fig. 3, turned ninety degrees from the horizontal for want of space. view of the machine as it appears with the head or cover C, Fig. 1, removed. Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section of the entire machine, showing the internal mechanism. The head or cover C is cut as shown by the dotted line c c, Fig. l, and the easing B is cut as indicated by the dotted line d d', Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of a window and part of a brick wall, showing the arrangements used for fastening said machine to buildings.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several Views.

In Fig. 3, B is a cylindrical cast-iron case, to which is fastened the head or cover C by means of cap-screws d d, the combination of which furnishes the support for the internal mechanism. The wooden drum A turns in a left-handed direction, as indicated by the arrow, (see Fig. 2,) carrying with it the steel shaft D, to which is fastened a spur-pinion F, which in turn drives the spur-gear and pinion G and H, respectively, rotating, as indicated by arrow, loosely upon the pin L, which is driven fast into the head C. The pinion H in turn drives the spur-gear I loosely upon the pin M, which is also driven fast to the head C. To the gear I is attached a circular case or drum N, against whose inner surface is fastened one end of the spiral spring J by means of the screw t', the other end being fastened, by vmeans of the screw j, to the fixed pin M. It will thus be seen that when the drum A revolves in a left-handed direction the circular case or drum N revolves in the same direction, and consequently tends to Fig. 2 is an end increase the tension of the spring J. The bracket W is threaded at 7c to receive the screw O. The lever P, to which is fastened the screw O, is turned in a right-handed direction, thereby forcing the center point of the screw O against the shaft D, and thus forcing the plane y of the drum A against the plane E ofv the case B. This operation will lock the drum A fast at any point of its revolution or regulate its speed.

In Fig. 4, T is an iron bracket supported to the wall by means of the bolts no In the ring l is placed the hook U, to which is fastened one end of a wire rope V. The remainder of the required amount of rope is wound around the drum A and fastened as shown in Fig. 3.

The person wishing to descend will place the strap w around his body, Linder the arms, place his hand on the lever P, and then swing himself from the window. In descending the natural tendency will be to pull the lever P, which action will either stop or control his speed of descent at will. In going down the rope V will unwind, thereby turning the drum A and increasing the tension of the spring J, as heretofore described. Upon reaching the ground the leather strap w will be removed, and the tension of the spring J will force the drum Alto revolve in the opposite direction, thereby rewinding the rope V and carrying the entire apparatus back to the bracket T, after which the operation can be repeated.

Anotherfeature of my invention is that it maybe inverted by placing the hook R in the ring Z and the strap win the hook U. Thus a person can stand in the window and control the descent of any number of persons, Who upon reaching the ground will let go of the strap w, it being carried back by the action of the spring J, as before.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and practical, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination in a fire-escape of a cylindrical drum or reel fastened upon a shaft revolubly journaled at the ends in a metallic casing, the projection in one end of a metallic casing of a circular friction-plane for the purpose of engaging oneend of said drum or rcel when forced upon it, the head, compris- IOO ing one end of a metallic casing, having a bracket thatV is threaded to receive a screw, the double squarethreaded screw one end fastened to a handlever, the other brought to a point centrally of the screw, the engagement of the screw through a bracket with the center of a shaft, upon which is fastened a drum or: reel for the purpose of forcing one end of said drum or reel against a frictionplane in a metallic casing, the pinion vcarried with the shaft D, and meshing with a spurgear revolubly mounted on a xed pin, and carrying with it the pinion which in turn ydrives the spur-gear having attached the circular casing, to the inner side of which is fastened one end of a spiral spring the other end of said spring being fastened to the xed pin upon which the spur-gear revolves, the pins L and M driven fast to the head, of a metallic casing, said head having a receptacle for the reception of the two spur-pinions and the two spungears one of which carries the casing containing the spiral springas described, the wire cable wound around a drum or reel one end being fastened to said reel by means of a screw through an eye spliced in said cable, the other end of the wire cable passing through an orifice in the metallic casing, and

having attached a steell hook fastened in an eyebolt which is in turn fastened to the outer end of a bracket, the bracket fastened to and CHRISTEN J. PETERSON.

Witnesses ANDREW SKOLD, PETER GLYN. 

